CN114070294A

CN114070294A - Press key

Info

Publication number: CN114070294A
Application number: CN202110853878.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: T·赫博特; B·富格
Original assignee: Diehl Abuck Fund Co ltd
Current assignee: Diehl Abuck Fund Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2021-07-28
Publication date: 2022-02-18
Also published as: DE102020209577A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a push button having a cover which defines a button region and can be at least partially elastically deformed in the button region, the cover having in the button region an IR transmissive region in which the cover is permeable to IR light and an IR reflective region in which the cover is reflective to IR light. The push button also has an optical sensor device (18) arranged on the inner side of the cover for detecting different operating states of the button region, the sensor device (18) having an IR deflector (184) for deflecting IR light emitted by the transmitter towards the IR-transmitting region (15) and towards the IR-reflecting region (16) of the cover (12) and for deflecting IR light (r1, r2) reflected by an object (17) on the user side (12a) of the IR-transmitting region (15) and reflected by the IR-reflecting region (16) towards the receiver.

Description

Press key

Technical Field

The invention relates to a push button, in particular a multifunction push button, for example for an electronic domestic appliance.

Background

For operating devices, different types of operating elements are known, which have different operating principles. In the case of operating elements designed as push buttons, a distinction can be made, for example, between Touch-sensitive push buttons (so-called "Touch controls") and push buttons that can be actuated by force action. In order to detect such an actuation state of the pressed button, optical or capacitive sensor devices are mostly used in practice.

WO2017/174097a1 discloses a multifunction push button with an optical sensor device that can distinguish between operations of the button area with different pressures according to the detection position of reflected radiation. In this configuration, the radiation emitted by the transmitter of the sensor device is reflected by the rear side of the cover and is then detected by the receiver of the sensor device, wherein the detection position of the radiation reflected by the cover is evaluated in order to deduce therefrom the degree of deformation of the cover from the different forces acting on the key region.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved multifunction pushbutton which also enables a high flexibility of the design of the entire operating device.

This object is achieved by a push button having the features of claim 1. Particularly advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The push button according to the invention comprises a cover having a user side facing the user and an inner side facing away from the user, wherein the cover defines a button area, wherein the cover is at least partially elastically deformable in the button area, and the cover has an IR-transmissive area in which the cover is designed to be permeable to IR light and an IR-reflective area in which the cover is designed to be reflective to IR light in the button area. The push button according to the present invention is also characterized by a dedicated sensor device for detecting the manipulation state of the button section, the sensor device being provided on the side inside the cover, wherein the sensor device comprises: a transmitter for emitting IR light; a first receiver and a second receiver disposed at different locations at a distance from each other and respectively for detecting reflected IR light; and an IR diverter designed to divert a portion of the IR light emitted by the transmitter towards an IR transmissive region of the cover and to divert another portion of the IR light emitted by the transmitter towards an IR reflective region of the cover, to divert IR light reflected by an object on a user side of the IR transmissive region towards the first receiver and to divert IR light reflected by the IR reflective region towards the second receiver.

Such a configuration of the push button, in which the cover has two different IR reflection paths in its IR-transmissive or IR-reflective area in the button region, makes it possible to detect a plurality of different actuation states of the button region of the push button, i.e. on the one hand touching or approaching the button region and on the other hand pushing against the button region, using a relatively simple-structured optical sensor device. Furthermore, the particular structure of the sensor device with the diversion of the emitted IR light and the reflected IR light enables more spatial degrees of freedom for positioning the transmitter and receiver of the optical sensor device, so that the push button can be very flexibly adapted to various desired designs and configurations of the entire operating device. Furthermore, the structure according to the invention of the push button can be constructed without a barrier between the transmitter and the receiver that blocks IR light and furthermore allows the use of a light-transmitting cover or cover plate, which enables a simple and variable symbol illumination of the push button, wherein the IR light of the sensor device and the visible light of the symbol illumination do not interfere with one another even if they cross. That is, the structure according to the invention provides a multifunction push button which has a plurality of different detectable operating states and also allows a variable configuration of the symbol illumination and a flexible adaptation to the desired design.

The transmitter of the sensor device may have one or more transmitter elements for emitting IR light. The transmitter preferably emits the first and second light beams in slightly different orientations from each other in a direction towards the IR redirector. In this case, the IR redirector may redirect the emitted first IR light beam towards an IR transmissive region of the cover and redirect the emitted second IR light beam towards an IR reflective region of the cover. The first and second receivers of the sensor device are preferably equipped for the position-resolved detection of IR light, i.e. for the detection of the detection position within the respective receiver, at which the IR light enters. For this purpose, the first receiver and the second receiver may selectively include a plurality of receiving elements, respectively. The IR redirector redirects the emitted and reflected IR light beams, in particular by corresponding reflections of the IR light.

The transmitter of the sensor device is preferably designed and/or arranged in such a way that it emits IR light or a first IR light beam and a second IR light beam in one or more directions transverse to the direction of the distance between the transmitter and the cover towards the IR redirector. For this purpose, so-called "side leds" (sideleds) can preferably be used as transmitters for the lateral emission of IR light. The term "transverse" in this context does not require an orientation exactly perpendicular to the distance direction. The exact direction of the emitted IR light beam depends inter alia on the structure of the IR redirector used, which has to redirect two parts of the IR light or two IR light beams, respectively, in different directions.

Similarly, at least one receiver (preferably both receivers) of the first and second receiver of the sensor device is designed and/or arranged such that it receives reflected IR light from the IR redirector that is redirected by the IR redirector in a direction transverse to the direction of the distance between the respective receiver and the cover. For this purpose, preferably so-called side LEDs can be used as receivers for the lateral detection of IR light. The term "transverse" also does not require in this context an orientation exactly perpendicular to the distance direction. The exact direction of the diverted reflected IR beam depends inter alia on the structure of the IR diverter used.

In one embodiment of the invention, the IR deflector of the sensor device is designed in the shape of a substantially pyramid. The sides of the pyramid shape form reflective surfaces to divert the emitted and reflected IR beams. In this case, different sides of the pyramid shape preferably face the transmitter, the first receiver and the second receiver, respectively. The base of the pyramid shape is preferably triangular, quadrangular or pentagonal; correspondingly, the pyramid shape preferably has three, four or five side faces. The pyramid-shaped bottom face preferably extends in a plane transverse to the direction of the distance between the cover cap and the IR deflector.

Preferably, the sensor device also has a control device which is designed to determine the distance or change in distance from an object (for example a finger of a user) to the IR redirector and thus to the first receiver from the IR light detected by the first receiver and to determine the distance or change in distance from the cover to the IR redirector and thus to the second receiver from the IR light detected by the second receiver.

Preferably, the control device can be designed to recognize, as a function of the determined distance or the determined change in distance from the object to the IR steerer, a possible actuation state of the object contacting the key field and/or the object approaching the key field as a key field or as a pressed key. Preferably, the control device can also be designed to recognize, as a possible actuation state or states of actuation of the key region or of the push button, the deformation or the degree of deformation of the key region caused by the pressure exerted by the object on the key region as a function of the determined distance or the determined change in distance of the cover to the IR deflector. Within the scope of the invention, the multifunction push button can recognize a plurality of different actuation states, which are selected, for example, from the following group, depending on the design of the sensor device and its control device: (i) contact or pressure effect, (ii) proximity or contact or pressure effect, (iii) contact or small pressure effect or large pressure effect, (iv) proximity or contact or small pressure effect or large pressure effect. Preferably, the sensor device and its control device are designed such that they can recognize at least three different actuation states of the push button.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover has a cover plate, which is provided on its inner side outside the IR-transmissive region with a reflective layer, the reflective layer of the cover having one or more recesses, the cover plate being transparent for visible light at least in the region of the one or more recesses, and one or more light emitters are provided on the side of the inner side of the cover for emitting visible light in the direction of one of the one or more recesses in the reflective layer of the cover. In this embodiment, one or more symbol elements can also be arranged in the cover plate of the cover or on the cover in the region of the one or more recesses in the reflective layer of the cover, which symbol elements are then illuminated from behind by the visible light emitted by the light emitter into the cover. The positioning of the symbol illumination can be selected almost limitlessly due to the inventive design of the sensor device and is dependent only on the desired design of the entire operating device. In other words, the recesses in the reflective layer and the associated light emitters can in principle be arranged at any location outside the IR-transmitting region in the key region, i.e. in particular outside the key region and, if required, also in the region of the IR-reflecting region of the key region, since the IR light beams emitted and reflected by the components of the sensor device do not interfere with the light emitters and the visible light beams.

Drawings

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred, non-limiting exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. Most of which are schematically shown in the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a basic scheme of pressing a key according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of a basic version of the push button of fig. 1 according to a first embodiment variant; and

fig. 3 shows a perspective sectional view of a basic version of the push button of fig. 1 according to a second embodiment variant.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 to 3 show the basic design of the structure and the operating principle of a multifunction pushbutton according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention in different embodiment variants. The specific structure of the push button according to the present invention can be implemented by those skilled in the art based on the basic scheme. Identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the figures.

The multifunction pushbutton 10 has a cover 12 which delimits a pushbutton area 14 which can be actuated by a user in a partial section thereof. The cover 12 is elastically deformable in the region of the key region 14, so that a user can touch the key region 14 for actuating the pushbutton 10 and can press the key region 14 slightly by pressure.

As is shown schematically in fig. 1, the cover 12 has, in the region of the key region 14, an IR-transmissive region 15, in which the cover 12 is transparent for IR light, and an IR-reflective region 16, in which the cover 12 reflects IR light.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the cover 12 has a user side 12a facing the user and an inner side 12b facing away from the user, and the cover has a cover plate 122, with the exception that in the region of the IR-transmitting region 15, the cover plate 122 is provided with a reflective layer 124 on the inner side 12b of the cover 12. The cover plate 122 is transparent to IR light and to visible light everywhere or at least in various relevant positions. The cover plate 122 is made of glass, glass ceramic, or plastic, for example. The reflective layer 124 reflects IR light and typically also visible light. In the IR transmissive region 15, the cover plate 122 of the cover 12 is IR transmissive and only the cover plate 122 is present. In the IR reflecting region 16, the cover 12 has a reflective layer 124 in addition to its cover plate 122.

The sensor device 18 is arranged on the inner side 12b of the cover 12. As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the sensor device 18 comprises a transmitter 180, a first receiver 181, a second receiver 182 and an IR deflector 184, which may be mounted, for example, on a spaced apart mounting plate (not shown) behind the cover 12.

The transmitter 180 and the IR redirector 184 are located on a first imaginary line. The IR redirector 184 and the receiver 181 are located on a second imaginary line. An angle η is developed between the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line. The IR redirector 184 and the receiver 182 are located on a third imaginary line. Spread out an angle between the first imaginary line and the third imaginary line

The angle η and

may be the same or different.

The angle eta or

Is acute, right or obtuse. In a preferred alternative, the angle η or

Is a 180 deg. angle, the receiver 181 and/or the receiver 182 are located on the extension of an imaginary line between the transmitter 180 and the IR redirector 184.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the two angles η and

is at right angles, as shown in fig. 1. In a further preferred alternative, the two angles η and

is a right angle and the two angles

The other of η and is a 180 ° angle, as shown in fig. 2 and 3.

The IR diverter 184 is located in the transition area between the IR transmissive area 15 and the IR reflective area 16 behind the key area 14 of the cover 12. In this embodiment, the IR redirector 184 has a substantially pyramidal shape with a quadrilateral bottom surface and four corresponding side surfaces for reflecting IR light. The base of the pyramid shape is oriented substantially in a plane transverse to the direction of distance 19 between the cover cap 12 and the IR deflector 184.

In this embodiment, the transmitter 180 is disposed behind the cover 12 outside the area of the key region 14. The transmitter 180 is preferably designed as a side LED in order to emit IR light transversely to the direction of distance 19 between the cover 12 and the transmitter 180 in the direction of the IR redirector 184. Preferably, the transmitter 180 emits a first IR light beam e1 and a second IR light beam e2 that impinge on the same side of the IR redirector 184 at slightly different locations.

The first IR light beam e1 is turned by the IR redirector 184 in the direction of the IR transmissive region 15 and is transmitted through the cover 12 in the IR transmissive region 15. If an object 17, such as a user's finger, is present on or above key pad 14, then steered IR light beam eu1 is reflected by object 17 and IR light beam r1 reflected by object 17 is directed back through cover 12 to IR redirector 184 in IR transmissive region 15. At the IR redirector 184, the IR light beam r1 reflected by the object strikes another side and is redirected from that side in a different direction than the transmitter 180. In the direction of the diverted reflected IR light beam ru1, a first receiver 181 is arranged for detecting IR light. In this embodiment, a first receiver 181 is arranged behind the cover 12, outside the area of the key area 14 (spaced apart from the transmitter 180), similar to the transmitter 180, and is preferably configured as a side LED, in order to receive IR light from the direction of the IR redirector 184 transversely to the distance direction 19.

The first IR light beam e1 and the diverted IR light beam eu1 form an angle α, which is preferably an obtuse angle. It is further preferred that the angle α between the first IR light beam e1 and the diverted IR light beam eu1 is a right angle. The reflected IR light beam r1 and the reflected IR light beam ru1 form an angle β, which is preferably an obtuse angle. It is further preferred that the angle β between the reflected IR light beam r1 and the reflected IR light beam ru1 is a right angle. The angles alpha and beta may be the same or different.

The second IR light beam e2 emitted by the transmitter 180 is turned by the IR redirector 184 in the direction of the IR reflective region 16 and impinges on the reflective layer 124 within the IR reflective region 15. The diverted IR light beam eu2 is reflected by the IR reflecting layer 124 back to the IR diverter 184. The IR light beam r2 reflected by the IR reflecting layer 124 strikes a different side from the above-described IR light beams e1, e2, r1 at the IR redirector 184 and is redirected therefrom in a different direction than the transmitter 180 and the first receiver 181. A second receiver 182 is arranged in the direction of the diverted reflected IR light beam ru2 for detecting IR light. In this embodiment, the second receiver 182 is arranged behind the cover 12, outside the area of the key area 14 (spaced apart from the transmitter 180 and the first receiver 181), as the first receiver 181, and is preferably configured as a side LED, in order to receive the diverted reflected IR light ru2 from the direction of the IR diverter 184 transversely to the distance direction 19. For clarity reasons, the diverted IR light beams eu1 and eu2 and the reflected IR light beams r1 and r2 are not shown in fig. 1.

The second IR light beam e2 and the diverted IR light beam eu2 form an angle γ, which is preferably an obtuse angle. It is further preferred that the angle γ between the second IR light beam e2 and the diverted IR light beam eu2 is a right angle. The reflected IR light beam r2 and the reflected IR light beam ru2 form an angle δ, which is preferably an obtuse angle. It is further preferred that the angle δ between the reflected IR light beam r2 and the reflected IR light beam ru2 is a right angle. The angles γ and δ may be the same or different.

In contrast to other configurations of sensor devices, in said sensor device 18 of the push button 10 according to the invention, no barrier for blocking IR light between the transmitter 180 and the

receivers

181, 182 is required. Furthermore, the positions of the transmitter 180 and the

receivers

181, 182 can be selected relatively variably, so that the configuration of the sensor device 18 can be flexibly adapted to the design of the respective operating device.

The sensor device 18 further comprises a control device 185 coupled to the transmitter 180 and the first and

second receivers

181, 182. The control device 185 may be mounted on the same mounting plate as the transmitter 180 and

receivers

181, 182 of the sensor device 18.

As shown in fig. 1-3, IR light eu1 that is turned from the IR redirector 184 in a direction toward the IR transmissive region 15 passes through the cover 12 and may be reflected on an object 17, such as a user's finger, external to the cover 12. The IR light r1 reflected by the object 17 passes through the IR transmitting area 15 of the cover 12 again, impinges on the IR redirector 184 and is redirected in the direction of the first receiver 181, wherein the detected position and/or the light intensity of the redirected reflected IR light ru1 on the first receiver 181 is related to the distance of the object 17 from the cover 12 and thus from the IR redirector 184 and the first receiver 181. The control device 185 can then determine the distance and optionally also the change in the distance between the object 17 and the cover 12 on the basis of the measurement signal of the first receiver 181, in order then to determine, on the basis of the determination result, the manipulation state of the object 17 contacting the key region 14 as the key region 14. Alternatively, in addition to determining contact with the key region 14, the control device 25 can also determine that the object 17 is in proximity to the key region 14 as another operating state of the key region 14.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 1-3, IR light eu2 that is turned by IR redirector 184 in the direction of IR reflective region 16 impinges on and is reflected by reflective layer 124 on interior side 12b of cover 12. The IR light r2 reflected by the reflective layer 124 strikes the IR redirector 184 and is redirected toward the second receiver 182. When the user presses the key field 14, the cover 12 is slightly deformed in the region of the key field 14 and is pressed in the direction of the inner side 12 b. Thus, the distance of the reflective layer 124 to the IR redirector 184 and the second receiver 182 also changes and as a result thereof the detected position and/or intensity of the redirected reflected IR light ru2 on the second receiver 182 also changes. The control device 185 can then determine the distance between the cover 12 and the IR deflector 184 or the second receiver 182 and optionally also the change in distance on the basis of the measurement signal of the second receiver 182, in order then to determine the pressing in of the key field 14 by the object 17 as the actuation state of the key field 14 on the basis of the determination result. Alternatively, the control device 185 can also determine different pressing dimensions of the key field 14 as different operating states of the key field 14.

In addition to the described sensor means 18, the multifunction push button 10 also comprises a symbol illumination system for displaying symbols for information purposes to the user on the user side 12a of the cover with visible light. By means of this symbol illumination, the position and function of the key field 14 can be indicated to the user, for example.

The symbol illumination system comprises one or more light emitters 20 for emitting visible light, which are arranged behind the cover 12 on the side of the user side 12b of the cover 12. In contrast to the transmitter 180 and the

receivers

181, 182 of the sensor device 18, the light emitter 20 is designed, for example, in the form of a top led (topled) and emits visible light o1, o2 in the direction of the cover 12, respectively. The light emitter 20 may be mounted on a mounting plate (not shown) similar to the

components

180 and 184 of the sensor device 18 and may be coupled to the same control device 185 or other control devices.

The reflective layer 124 of the cover 12 has one or more voids 22 in the area corresponding to the light emitters 20, so that the visible light o1, o2 emitted from the light emitters 20 can shine through the cover 12. The voids 22 and light emitters 20 may optionally be positioned in all areas of the cover 12 except for the area of the IR transmissive area 15 in the key region 14. For example, as shown in fig. 1, the symbol illumination may be located in the entire face of cover 12 outside of key area 14 or outside of IR transmissive area 15 of key area 14.

Depending on the application and depending on the desired design of the symbol illumination, symbol elements 24 can be arranged in/on the cover plate 122 of the cover 12 in the region of the recesses 22 of the reflective layer 124, which are illuminated from behind by visible light o1, o 2.

The symbol illumination in conjunction with the sensor device 18 of the push button 10 according to the invention has in particular a high variability, so that the push button can be adapted very flexibly to the desired design of the respective operating device. This variability is present especially because the intersection of the visible light o1, o2 with any IR light beam e1, e2, ru1, ru2 does not create a problem and because the sensor device 18 does not need to include a light-tight barrier.

List of reference numerals

10 pressing key

12 cover cap

12a user side

12b inner side

122 cover plate

124 reflective layer

125 space part

14 key area

15 IR transmission region

16 IR reflecting area

17 object

18 sensor device

180 transmitter

181 first receiver

182 second receiver

184 IR deflector

185 control device

19 direction of distance

20 light emitter

22 void part

24 symbol element

e1 IR light emitted toward an IR redirector

e2 IR light emitted toward an IR redirector

IR light turned toward the IR transmissive region by eu1

IR light turned toward the IR reflective region by eu2

r1 IR light reflected by an object

r2 IR light reflected by the reflective layer

ru1 reflected IR light turned towards first receiver

ru2 reflected IR light turned towards a second receiver

Visible light reflected by o1

Visible light reflected by o2

Claims

1. A push button (10) having:

a cover (12) having a user side (12a) facing the user and an inner side (12b) facing away from the user, wherein the cover (12) defines a key area (14),

wherein the cover (12) is at least partially elastically deformable in the key region (14) and

wherein the cover (12) has in the key region (14) an IR-transmitting region (15), in which the cover (12) is designed to be transparent to IR light, and an IR-reflecting region (16), in which the cover (12) is designed to be reflective to IR light; and

a sensor device (18) arranged on the side of the inner side (12b) of the cover (12) for detecting an actuation state of the key region (14), wherein the sensor device (18) has:

a transmitter (180) for emitting IR light (e1, e 2);

a first receiver (181) and a second receiver (182) arranged at different positions at a distance from each other and for detecting reflected IR light (ru1, ru2), respectively, and

an IR diverter (184) designed to divert a portion (eu1) of IR light (e1, e2) emitted by the transmitter (180) towards an IR transmissive region (15) of the cover (12) and another portion (eu2) towards an IR reflective region (16) of the cover (12) and to divert IR light (r1) reflected by an object (17) on a user side (12a) of the IR transmissive region (15) towards the first receiver (181) towards (ru1) and to divert IR light (r2) reflected by the IR reflective region (16) towards (ru2) the second receiver (182).

2. The push button according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter (180) of the sensor device (18) is designed and/or arranged for emitting IR light (e1, e2) towards the IR redirector (184) in a direction transverse to a distance direction (19) between the transmitter (180) and the cover (12).

3. The push button according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first receiver (181) and the second receiver (182) of the sensor device (18) is designed and/or arranged for receiving reflected IR light (ru1, ru2) diverted by the IR diverter (184) from a direction transverse to a distance direction (19) between the respective receiver (181, 182) and the cover (12).

4. The push button according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the IR diverter (184) of the sensor device (18) is designed in the shape of a pyramid, wherein different sides of the pyramid shape face the transmitter (180), the first receiver (181) and the second receiver (182), respectively.

5. The push button according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor device (18) further has a control device (185) which is designed to determine the distance or the change in distance from the object (17) to the IR diverter (184) from the IR light (ru1) detected by the first receiver (181) and to determine the distance or the change in distance from the cover (12) to the IR diverter (184) from the IR light (ru2) detected by the second receiver (182).

6. The pushbutton according to claim 5, wherein the control device (185) is further designed to recognize, from the determined distance (change in distance) from the object (17) to the IR deflector (184), that the object (17) touches the key region (14) and/or that the object (17) approaches the key region (14).

7. The pushbutton according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the control device (185) is also designed to recognize a deformation or a degree of deformation of the key region (14) caused by a pressure exerted by an object (17) on the key region (14) as a function of the determined distance (change in distance) of the cover (12) from the IR deflector (184).

8. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (12) has a cover plate (122) which is provided with a reflection layer (124) on the inner side (12b) outside the IR transmission region (15), the reflection layer (124) of the cover (12) having one or more interspaces (22), the cover plate (122) being designed permeable for visible light at least in the region of the one or more interspaces (22), and one or more light emitters (20) are provided on the side of the inner side (12b) of the cover (12) for emitting visible light (o1, o2) in the direction of one of the one or more interspaces (22) in the reflection layer (124) of the cover (12), respectively.

9. The push button according to claim 8, wherein one or more symbol elements (24) are provided in the cover plate (122) of the cover (12) or on the cover (12) in the area of the one or more recesses (22) in the reflective layer (124) of the cover (12).